Safety device for lamp-signals.



PATBNTED 00T. 10, 1905.

F. B. GOREY. SAFETY DEVICE FOR LAMP SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 19A 1904 Witnesses".

l Inventor. Prc-: 21 BCOreg. DQ`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. OOREY, OF SOHENEOTADY,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

SAFETYl DEVICE FOR LA|V|FS|GNALS.A

I'n (all loll/0771, 7125 Wawy concern:

Be itknown that I, FRED B. OoREY. a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forLamp-Signals, of which the Jfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to railway signal systems which are illuminated atnight bylamps; and theA object of my invention is to eliminate thepossibility of accidents occurring from the accidental extinguishing ofa lamp.

Railway-signals are ordinarily illuminated at night by oil-lamps, whichare liable to be accidentally extinguished by a high wind or failure ofthe oil-supply or other similar cause. Then the lamp is extinguished, anaccident is very likely to result, since an engineer may fail to see theunlighted signal at all or may take the chances ot' its being at safety,knowing' that he has the excuse that he was unable to see the unlightedsignal.

In one aspect my invention consists in prof viding automatic means forstopping a train in case a lamp is extinguished.

In another aspect my invention consists in the combination, witha signalanditslamp, of a thermostat exposed to the heat of the lamp and a devicecontrolled by the thermostat located along the roadway and adapted to bemoved into a position to engage a devicesuch, for instance, as avalve-on a passing train.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which- L represents a lamp which lights the semaphore-signalA.

T represents a thermostat which is placed so as to be heated by thelamp-dame, and consequently to be held in the position shown as long asthe lamp is lighted. If the lamp is extinguished, however, thethermostat returns to a horizontal position and bridges contacts t t.These contacts are in the circuit of the battery or other source ofcurrent B, to which is connected the stop device.

C is a magnet-coil or solenoid connected in the battery-circuit, thearmature D of which acts as a trip for the rod E, which is connected tothe pivoted member F. Vhen D is withdrawn by the energizing of coil O,rod E is free to fall and the pivoted member F is rotated into anupright position by the weight Speccaton of` Letters Patent. YApplication flied retrmy 19, 1904. serial No. ieassa Patented oct. io,1905.

W. Member F is disposed adjacent to the rail R and is designed to strikea valve controlling the air -brakes on a passing train. The member F isnormally held in an inoperative position, as shown, by the catch D; butif the lamp L becomes accidentally extinguished thermostat T closes acircuit through battery B and tripping-coil C, releasing member F andallowing it to move into an upright position, so as to strike a valve ona passing train and bring it to rest if it attempts to pass the signal.

Switch S is provided to open the batterycircuit in the day-time, whenthe lamp is not lighted.

I do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction andarrangement of parts here shown, since changes which do not depart fromthe spirit of my invention and which are within the scope of the`appended claims will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

-l. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal,athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, and a train-stoppingdevice controlled by said thermostat.

2. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, an electric circuitcontrolled by said thermostat, a train-stopping device, and amagnet-winding included in said circuit and controlling said device.

3. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, a train-stopping devicelocated along the roadway, and electromagnetically-operated meanscontrolled by said thermostat for holding said device normally in aninoperative position.

4:. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, an electric circuitcontrolled by said thermostat, a train-stopping device located along theroadway, a catch for holding said device normally inoperative, and atripping-coil in saidcircnit arranged to disengage said catch.

5. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, an electric circuitcontrolled by said thermostat, a train-stopping device, a magnet-windingincluded in IOO said circuit and controlling said device, and a switchfor breaking' said circuit independently of said thermostat.

6. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, and a device controlled bysaid thermostat located along the roadway and adapted to be moved into aposition to engage a passing' train.

7. In combination, a railway-signal, a lamp for lighting said signal, athermostat exposed to the heat of said lamp, an electric circuitcontrolled by said thermostat, a device located along the roadway andadapted to be moved into a position to engage a passing train, and amagnet-Winding included in said circuit and controlling said device.

lin said circuit arranged to disengage said catch.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day ofFebruary, 1904.

FREI) B. COREY.

Vitnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD.

